Member states of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) have expressed concerns over increasing population in the basin that has led to the degradation of the Nile resources. The red-flag was raised during the annual strategic planning dialogue of the member state in Kigali on Monday. In a conference, the members states drew up strategies to conserve Nile resources. The conference was attended by of Uganda, DR Congo, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. Others include Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, and hosts Rwanda. The Nile Commission Chairperson, Jemma Nunu Kumba, also the South Sudan Minister for Electricity, Irrigation and Water Resources, said environmental change is a global concern and member states need to proactively come up with preventive measures to safeguard the Nile waters. “The world is facing global environmental changes and the Nile Basin is not an exception, we are looking at how we can adapt with the changes because the impact is everywhere in form of drought and floods so we want to put in place some mechanisms on how to restrain this,” she said. In the same meeting the issue of cooperation between the member states was articulated since some states (Egypt) had refused to sign the Cooperation Framework Agreement (CFA). The framework seeks to put in place a permanent commission that will oversee the usage of the Nile Resources. The Egyptian delegate, Dr Wael M. Khairy, said there was a consensus of procedures to be followed by ministers that was signed in 2010 but these procedures were not followed. He said Egypt stalled on the signing because of the “breach.” “But we’re still in the NBI and are keenly cooperative,” Dr Khairy said. The Minister for Natural Resources Minister, Stanislas Kamanzi, expressed optimism that a compromise will be reached and all countries will come on board to sign the framework.
